GOLDEN YEARS: Last week, it was Diana Ross & the Supremes' turn to return to The Billboard 200. This week, the Carpenters come back in a similar manner, as the 35th anniversary edition of "Gold" (A&M/UTV) debuts at No. 119. It's the first Carpenters title to appear on this tally since "Love Songs" went to No. 106 in May 1998.
"Carpenters Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition" is the 17th album by the brother-and-sister duo to chart. Their run began with "Close to You," which debuted the week of Sept. 19, 1970, ultimately peaking at No. 2. That gives Richard Carpenter and his late sister Karen an album chart span of 33 years, five months and one week.
The Carpenters only had one No. 1 album: "The Singles 1969-1973" spent one week on top in 1974.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO: I don't know which of the five nominated tunes is going to walk away with the Academy Award for best original song, but one thing is certain: it won't be a song that has graced Billboard's Hot 100. None of the five nominees has been a hit, although the soundtrack albums they inhabit have had some success.
Looking at every Billboard chart, the highest-ranking position by an album with a nominated song was achieved by the soundtrack to "The Triplets of Belleville" (Higher Octave). The soundtrack, containing the nominated song "Belleville Rendez-Vous," peaked two weeks ago at No. 2 on the Top World Albums tally.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY: Add two more "Pop Idol" contestants to the list of singers from the British TV series who have had No. 1 singles in the United Kingdom. From the program's second season, second-place finisher Mark Rhodes and third-place Sam Nixon have teamed up as Sam & Mark. Their remake of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends" (19/BMG) debuts in the pole position.
Second season champion Michelle scored a No. 1 hit with her first single, "All This Time." With Sam & Mark sitting on top, the top three finalists from both seasons of "Pop Idol" have had No. 1 songs in the United Kingdom. Will Young, Gareth Gates and Darius finished first, second and third in the first season of the popular series.
The B-side of "With a Little Help From My Friends" is a cover version of a song originally recorded by an "American Idol" contestant. "Measure of a Man" is the title track on Clay Aiken's debut album.
While the Beatles never released "With a Little Help From My Friends" as a single, it was covered by Joe Cocker in 1968. His version was a U.K. No. 1 that year. Scotland's Wet Wet Wet remade the song 20 years later, and also had a No. 1 hit. Sam & Mark's success with the song makes it one of four songs to be No. 1 in the United Kingdom by three different artists.
Steve Young of Hull, England supplied this list of repeat No. 1 hits:
"You'll Never Walk Alone": Gerry & the Pacemakers (1963), The Crowd (1985), Robson & Jerome (1996)
"Spirit in the Sky": Norman Greenbaum (1970), Doctor & the Medics (1986), Gareth Gates & the Kumars (2003)
"Unchained Melody": Jimmy Young (1955), the Righteous Brothers (1990), Robson & Jerome (1995), Gareth Gates (2002)
"Unchained Melody" is the only one of the above to top the chart in four different versions. In the United States, nine songs have been No. 1 by two different artists on the Hot 100, but no song has ever been No. 1 three times.
Young adds that "With a Little Help From My Friends" continues the record run of debuting No. 1s, which is now stretched to 55 in a row, dating back to Aaliyah`s "More Than a Woman" in January 2002. The previous best tally was 42 consecutive No. 1 debuts, set in December 2000.
NICE & FAST: The rapid turnover of songs at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 continues, with "Yeah!" (Arista) by Usher featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris capturing the lead position. It's the third new No. 1 of 2004, following one-week turns by "The Way You Move" by OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown and "Slow Jamz" by Twista featuring Kanye West & Jamie Foxx.
"Yeah!" is the fourth chart-topper for Usher, following his 1998 hit "Nice & Slow" and his 2001 songs "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad." It's the second time at No. 1 for Ludacris, who spent one week at the top of the list in December 2003 with "Stand Up." It's the first time at No. 1 for Lil Jon. His previous high mark on the Hot 100 was No. 2, the peak position he attained in October 2003 with "Get Low."
'ALWAYS' AND FOREVER: Shania Twain's "Forever and for Always" (Mercury) reclaims the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. This is the fourth time the song has advanced to pole position. "Forever" first went to No. 1 the week of Nov. 15, 2003, knocking out "Drift Away" by Uncle Kracker featuring Dobie Gray. After one week, "Drift Away" returned to the summit for two more weeks, then gave way to "Forever" again. After two weeks on top, "Forever" was succeeded by "Unwell" by matchbox twenty.
"Forever" stayed out of the No. 1 spot until two weeks ago, when it supplanted "Calling All Angels" by Train. Last week, "Angels" flew back to No. 1, and now Twain follows Train for another go-round.
"Carpenters Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition" is the 17th album by the brother-and-sister duo to chart. Their run began with "Close to You," which debuted the week of Sept. 19, 1970, ultimately peaking at No. 2. That gives Richard Carpenter and his late sister Karen an album chart span of 33 years, five months and one week.
The Carpenters only had one No. 1 album: "The Singles 1969-1973" spent one week on top in 1974.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO: I don't know which of the five nominated tunes is going to walk away with the Academy Award for best original song, but one thing is certain: it won't be a song that has graced Billboard's Hot 100. None of the five nominees has been a hit, although the soundtrack albums they inhabit have had some success.
Looking at every Billboard chart, the highest-ranking position by an album with a nominated song was achieved by the soundtrack to "The Triplets of Belleville" (Higher Octave). The soundtrack, containing the nominated song "Belleville Rendez-Vous," peaked two weeks ago at No. 2 on the Top World Albums tally.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY: Add two more "Pop Idol" contestants to the list of singers from the British TV series who have had No. 1 singles in the United Kingdom. From the program's second season, second-place finisher Mark Rhodes and third-place Sam Nixon have teamed up as Sam & Mark. Their remake of the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends" (19/BMG) debuts in the pole position.
Second season champion Michelle scored a No. 1 hit with her first single, "All This Time." With Sam & Mark sitting on top, the top three finalists from both seasons of "Pop Idol" have had No. 1 songs in the United Kingdom. Will Young, Gareth Gates and Darius finished first, second and third in the first season of the popular series.
The B-side of "With a Little Help From My Friends" is a cover version of a song originally recorded by an "American Idol" contestant. "Measure of a Man" is the title track on Clay Aiken's debut album.
While the Beatles never released "With a Little Help From My Friends" as a single, it was covered by Joe Cocker in 1968. His version was a U.K. No. 1 that year. Scotland's Wet Wet Wet remade the song 20 years later, and also had a No. 1 hit. Sam & Mark's success with the song makes it one of four songs to be No. 1 in the United Kingdom by three different artists.
Steve Young of Hull, England supplied this list of repeat No. 1 hits:
"You'll Never Walk Alone": Gerry & the Pacemakers (1963), The Crowd (1985), Robson & Jerome (1996)
"Spirit in the Sky": Norman Greenbaum (1970), Doctor & the Medics (1986), Gareth Gates & the Kumars (2003)
"Unchained Melody": Jimmy Young (1955), the Righteous Brothers (1990), Robson & Jerome (1995), Gareth Gates (2002)
"Unchained Melody" is the only one of the above to top the chart in four different versions. In the United States, nine songs have been No. 1 by two different artists on the Hot 100, but no song has ever been No. 1 three times.
Young adds that "With a Little Help From My Friends" continues the record run of debuting No. 1s, which is now stretched to 55 in a row, dating back to Aaliyah`s "More Than a Woman" in January 2002. The previous best tally was 42 consecutive No. 1 debuts, set in December 2000.
NICE & FAST: The rapid turnover of songs at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 continues, with "Yeah!" (Arista) by Usher featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris capturing the lead position. It's the third new No. 1 of 2004, following one-week turns by "The Way You Move" by OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown and "Slow Jamz" by Twista featuring Kanye West & Jamie Foxx.
"Yeah!" is the fourth chart-topper for Usher, following his 1998 hit "Nice & Slow" and his 2001 songs "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad." It's the second time at No. 1 for Ludacris, who spent one week at the top of the list in December 2003 with "Stand Up." It's the first time at No. 1 for Lil Jon. His previous high mark on the Hot 100 was No. 2, the peak position he attained in October 2003 with "Get Low."
'ALWAYS' AND FOREVER: Shania Twain's "Forever and for Always" (Mercury) reclaims the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. This is the fourth time the song has advanced to pole position. "Forever" first went to No. 1 the week of Nov. 15, 2003, knocking out "Drift Away" by Uncle Kracker featuring Dobie Gray. After one week, "Drift Away" returned to the summit for two more weeks, then gave way to "Forever" again. After two weeks on top, "Forever" was succeeded by "Unwell" by matchbox twenty.
"Forever" stayed out of the No. 1 spot until two weeks ago, when it supplanted "Calling All Angels" by Train. Last week, "Angels" flew back to No. 1, and now Twain follows Train for another go-round.
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